Wall-mounted heater

ABSTRACT

An in the wall-type electric heater having a boxlike casing, the front wall of which inclines inward and upward from the bottom thereof a greater portion of its height and then extends horizontally outward, thereby forming a chamber diminishing upwardly in depth with a horizontally elongated outlet at the top; the heater further including an axial flow fan mounted in a central opening in the inclined front wall with its axis perpendicular to the wall and horizontally extending electric heaters positioned in the upper constricted portion of the chamber. Air drawn into the chamber by the axial flow fan is directed downward at an acute angle toward the lower larger part of the chamber, effecting its horizontal dispersion and, therefore, a more uniform distribution thereof as it passes upward over the horizontally extending heaters and through the horizontally elongated outlet.

United States Patent,

[72] Inventor RobertE.Steiner Creve Coeur, Mo.

[21] Appl. No, 124

l teferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,263,174 11/1941 Klauber 219/370 2,425,702 8/1947 Marr 219/377 2,578,819 12/1951 Mast...- 1. 219/368 X 2,852,657 9/1958 Markelet al 219/343 X 3,500,015 3/1970 Barbier et a1. 2l9/37OX FOREIGN PATENTS 939,897 3/1956 Germany 165/122 Primary ExaminerA. Bartis Attorney-Charles E. Markham ABSTRACT: An in the wall-type electric heater having a boxlike casing, the front wall of which inclines inward and upward from the bottom thereof a greater portion of its height and then extends horizontally outward, thereby forming a chamber diminishing upwardly in depth with a horizontally elongated outlet at the top; the heater further including an axial flow fan mounted in a central opening in the inclined front wall with its axis perpendicular to the wall and horizontally extending electric heaters positioned in the upper constricted'portion of the chamber. Air drawn into the chamber by the axial flow fan is directed downward at an acute angle toward the lower larger part of the chamber, effecting its horizontal dispersion and, therefore, a more uniform distribution thereof as it passes upward over the horizontally extending heaters and through the horizontally elongated outlet.

WALL-MOUNTED HEATER This invention relates to electric space heaters with circulating fans or blowers, and particularly to small heaters of the type adapted to be mounted within the wall of a room and between adjacent wall studs.

It is generally desirable for the reason of appearance, and frequently essential due to limited vertical wall space, that the vertical dimension of in-the-wall heaters be as small as practical while maintaining a uniform flow of air over the surfaces of the electric heating elements and across the area of the outlet. For example, when the heater is to be installed in a wall below a window, the vertical space available is often quite limited.

It is an object of this invention to provide a generally new and improved forced air electric heater, adapted to be installed within a wall, which is vertically compact and of particularly simple and low-cost construction.

It is a further object to provide a vertically compact, in-thewall-type, forced air electric heater having a casing enclosing horizontally elongated heating elements with a low-cost axial flow fan centrally positioned immediately below the heating elements, in which the fan and casing are arranged to effect a horizontal dispersion of air flow as well as an upward flow over the heating elements. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a grille overlying an inthe-wall heater constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the central portion of the grille broken away to show a partial front elevational view of the heater; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1. Referring to the drawing in more detail, the heater is shown, in FIG. 2, mounted in a wall between front and rear wall panels and between horizontally spaced vertical wall studs 12. The heater comprises a rectangular outer casing 14 having sidewalls 16, a rear wall 18, a top wall 20, and a bottom wall 22. The casing 14 has a width equal to the space between two adjacent wall studs, and its sidewalls 16 are suitably attached to the studs 12 by nails or screws. The front side of outer casing 14 is open and a grille 24 overlies the open side of casing 14 and has a surrounding rim portion bearing against the front wall panel 10. The grille 24 is attached to tabs or ears26 formed on the sidewalls 16 of the outer casing 14' by screws 28.

The heater further includes a rectangular inner housing or casing 30 entered into outer casing 14 and attached thereto by screws 32 and 34. The inner casing 30 is somewhat smaller than outer casing 14, and the side, rear, top, and bottom walls thereof are slightly spaced from those of the outer casing 14, as indicated in FIG. 2, thereby to retard heat transfer from the inner to outer casing.

The inner casing 30 has a front wall 36 which inclines inward and upward from the bottom of the casing a greater portion of the height thereof and then extends horizontally forward as indicated at 36a. The inclined front wall portion 36 together with vertical sidewalls 37, the rear walls 38, and the bottom wall 39 of the inner casing 30 form a chamber 40 which has considerably less depth at the top than at the bottom. Also, the horizontally forward-extending portion 36a of the front wall together with side and top walls 37 and 44, respectively, of inner casing 30 form a horizontally elongated rectangular outlet duct 46 leading forward from the upper, constricted, open end or throat of chamber 40.

The inclined front wall 36 has a centrally located circular opening 48 therein framed by an inwardly curved rim 50. Mounted in the lower portion of chamber 40 on an inclined pad 52 is an electric motor 54 having a drive shaft 56 concentric with opening 48 and extending forwardly into the opening 48 perpendicular to the inclined front wall 36. Mounted on the upper, constricted, open end of chamber 40, on suitable support members, is a group of elongated electric heating elements 60 extending horizontally substantially across the width of inner casing 30.

Because air moved by a conventional axial flow fan is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force as well as axially by the pitch of the fan blades, the centrally positioned fan 58, rotating in the direction indicated, tends to move air upwardly through the left side of the casing and outwardly through the left side of duct 46 at a somewhat greater rate than through the right side. To compensate for this a baffle 62 coextending with a substantial left side segment of the fan circle and operative to deflect a portion of the leftwardly directed airflow toward the right is provided. The baffle 62 is attached to the rear wall 38, as by spot welding at 42, and extends forward therefrom and outward at an acute angle with respect to the fan axis. The vertical rear wall 38 and horizontal top wall 44 of the inner casing 30 are joined by an oblique wall portion 64.

In the operation of the heater, air is drawn by fan 58 from the room to be heated through the lower portion of grille 24 and opening 48 into chamber 40. Due to the inclined axis of the fan the air is directed downward toward the lower deeper portion of the chamber 40, from whence it flows upwardly through the shallower, constricted portion of the chamber, and over the heating elements 60, then horizontally forward through the duct 46 and the upper portion of grille 24 back into the room to be heated.

By directing the air downwardly into the lower deeper portion of chamber 40, improved horizontal dispersion of the airflow over the heating elements in the upper constricted portion of the chamber and a more uniform flow across the area of the outlet duct results and permits a reduction in the overall height of the heater casing 30. The baflle 62 improves the uniformity of flow across the horizontally elongated heating elements and across the area of the outlet duct, but it is to be understood that a quite satisfactory horizontal dispersion of airflow and efficient operation of the heater will occur without this refinement.

lclaim:

1. An in-the-wall-type electric heater comprising a rectangular outer casing open at the front and a slightly smaller inner casing entered into and attached to said outer casing and having top, side, bottom and rear walls, said inner casing being further provided with an inclined front wall portion extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof a greater portion of the height thereof and forming with said side, rear, and bottom walls a chamber which diminishes upwardly in depth to a relatively shallow throat, and a horizontal wall portion extending forwardly from the upper end of said inclined wall portion and forming with said side, rear, and top walls a duct leading horizontally forward from said shallow throat, elongated electrical heating elements arranged in said throat and extending horizontally a greater portion of the width of said inner casing, a central circular opening in said inclined wall portion, an axial flow fan in said central opening having an axis of rotation concentric with said central opening and perpendicular to said inclined wall portion and operative to effect airflow inwardly and downwardly into said chamber, and an electric motor in said inner casing driving said fan.

2. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said outer casing has top, side, rear, and bottom walls spaced from the walls of said inner casing, and which further includes a grille attached to said outer casing and covering the open front thereof.

3. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said electric motor is mounted on the rear wall of said inner casing and includes a drive shaft concentric with said central opening and perpendicular to said inclined wall portion on which said axial flow fan is mounted and axially positioned in said central opening.

4. A heater as claimed in claim 1 in which said inclined wall portion forming said chamber and said horizontal wall portion forming said duct are formed of a continuous sheet of materibaffle in said chamber positioned at one side of said fan and operative to deflect a portion of the airflow generated by said 9 i a l d wa dl with, PE EEQiid 

1. An in-the-wall-type electric heater comprising a rectangular outer casing open at the front and a slightly smaller inner casing entered into and attached to said outer casing and having top, side, bottom and rear walls, said inner casing being further provided with an inclined front wall portion extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof a greater portion of the height thereof and forming with said side, rear, and bottom walls a chamber which diminishes upwardly in depth to a relatively shallow throat, and a horizontal wall portion extending forwardly from the upper end of said inclined wall portion and forming with said side, rear, and top walls a duct leading horizontally forward from said shallow throat, elongated electrical heating elements arranged in said throat and extending horizontally a greater portion of the width of said inner casing, a central circular opening in said inclined wall portion, an axial flow fan in said central opening having an axis of rotation concentric with said central opening and perpendicular to said inclined wall portion and operative to effect airflow inwardly and downwardly into said chamber, and an electric motor in said inner casing driving said fan.
 2. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said outer casing has top, side, rear, and bottom walls spaced from the walls of said inner casing, and which further includes a grille attached to said outer casing and covering the open front thereof.
 3. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said electric motor is mounted on the rear wall of said inner casing and includes a drive shaft concentric with said central opening and perpendicular to said inclined wall portion on which said axial flow fan is mounted and axially positioned in said central opening.
 4. A heater as claimed in claim 1 in which said inclined wall portion forming said chamber and said horizontal wall portion forming said duct are formed of a continuous sheet of material, and in which said central opening in said inclined wall portion is framed by an inwardly curved portion of said inclined wall.
 5. A heater as claimed in claim 1 which further includes a baffle in said chamber positioned at one side of said fan and operative to deflect a portion of the airflow generated by said fan inwardly and upwardly with respect to said fan.
 2. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said outer casing has top, side, rear, and bottom walls spaced from the walls of said inner casing, and which further includes a grille attached to said outer casing and covering the open front thereof.
 3. The electric heater claimed in claim 1 in which said electric motor is mounted on the rear wall of said inner casing and includes a drive shaft concentric with said central opening and perpendicular to said inclined wall portion on which said axial flow fan is mounted and axially positioned in said central opening.
 4. A heater as claimed in claim 1 in which said inclined wall portion forming said chamber and said horizontal wall portion forming said duct are formed of a continuous sheet of material, and in which said central opening in said inclined wall portion is framed by an inwardly curved portion of said inclined wall.
 5. A heater as claimed in claim 1 which further includes a baffle in said chamber positioned at one side of said fan and operative to deflect a portion of the airflow generated by said fan inwardly and upwardly with respect to said fan. 